Making Connections

There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that I do, no, I don't want to call it work, but things I do that are all about making connections in the 3D printing community.   Some of it is with content creators, some with companies, and some with people of note in the community.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of it is very nice, talking to people who are passionate about 3D printing.

Some of it is very business-related and some of it is just getting to know people.   Is it strategic?  Is it a waste of time?  Is it me being social and not getting real "work" done?  I'm honestly not sure.   Some of it is very important as connections I've made have had a very significant impact on where the brand has gone.   Some of it doesn't do anything for Filament Stories other than being kind and taking time to answer questions to someone who is new and reached out to you for help.  Which is a good thing, although it is sometimes very time-consuming. 

Tonight for the third time running I was invited to be on a Friday night call.  I didn't know who would be on it other than a few people I knew of, some more so than others.  I was tired, I'd been up all day, I am having issues adjusting to medication changes, but I got on the call in bed and had the camera off. 

Then I realized I did know (of) many of the people on the call.   They were all friendly and talking about things and events we're going to be a part of and so I got my clothes back on from my pajamas and went to the basement, pulled my laptop into the print room, turned on all the set lights and jumped back on the call. 

And proceeded to have a lovely two hours with people who I knew, but hadn't officially met from a video standpoint before.  Some, I knew well but I don't know if they knew me and yet it would be nice to be known by them.   

So the question I have now is was the call tonight work or social time?  I suppose both.   People know Filament Stories as Courtney.  They know there is someone else behind the scenes and a lot of people know who that person is.  But everyone associates the brand with me.  Joel Telling told us this very point blank when we met him.  It was within the first hour we'd met and he looked at me and said, "Courtney, *you* are Filament Stories.  I know you and your husband are doing this together and he works just as hard or harder than you do, but you are the brand."   

It was an odd thing.  I hadn't thought about it at the time.  I hadn't even made that many videos with me in it.   Now, with over 120,000 followers on YouTube and almost that many on TikTok it becomes more apparent that that is the case.  It is odd.  Social media is odd.   I don't know that I would recommend it to anyone.  It's a lot more work than it seems behind the scenes.   But there are good things.  I have had an opportunity to meet many interesting, friendly, and kind people through Filament Stories.  

But I'm still tired at the end of every day and there aren't weekends with content creation if you don't want to get algorighmed.   

The Big Boy Update:  I asked my son to come over to me today and then I told him I wanted a hug.  He leaned in and didn't hug me back, but he let me hug him for a very long time.  I loved it. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter loves to do things in the kitchen.  We came upstairs today to find her squeezing limes and making a pitcher of limeade.  She had everything out, had measured things, had cut the limes in half and had done a good job of squeezing them.   She is pretty much unstoppable.